“QB1 Loyalty Locked”: Bama Locker Room Picks a Side in Ty Simpson vs. Keelon Russell Saga, Says Daniel Hill
In the fiery furnace that is Alabama football, where pressure for perfection scorches hotter than a Tuscaloosa summer, a seismic shift is rippling through the locker room—and it’s coming straight from the heart of the Tide.
Whispers of quarterback controversy? That’s standard operating procedure in T-Town. But this time, there’s clarity piercing through the smoke. In an explosive, no-holds-barred interview with EssentiallySports, rising sophomore running back Daniel Hill lifted the veil on Alabama’s most heated internal debate: Who’s really leading this team into the future—veteran Ty Simpson or the electrifying newcomer Keelon Russell?
The locker room, it turns out, has already made its choice.
The Locker Room Has Spoken: “Ty Time” is Now
Forget the speculation. Forget the hype. When Hill was asked point-blank who the most underrated player in all of college football is, he didn’t flinch. He didn’t play coy. His answer was immediate, deliberate, and bold:
“Ty Simpson.”
That’s not lip service. That’s a verbal thunderclap—one that echoes down the hallways of the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility.
Hill went even further, prophesying Simpson’s rise like a man who’s seen it firsthand behind the scenes.
“Everyone’s going to see it this year,” he said. “He’s been grinding for years here, and it’s finally going to show.”
It’s an endorsement that cuts deeper than coachspeak. This is blood, sweat, and trust—birthed not in pressers but in practices. Simpson’s journey from five-star prodigy to sideline ghost to potential QB1 is no fairy tale. It’s been a long, gritty grind.
The Long Road to Relevance: Simpson’s Waiting Game
Arriving in 2022 as a heralded phenom out of Tennessee, Ty Simpson walked into a quarterback room still basking in the glow of Bryce Young’s Heisman aura. Then came Jalen Milroe, a human highlight reel who brought fireworks to the field.
Simpson? He became the forgotten man. The clipboard king. The emergency spark plug. But make no mistake—he made those chances count.
Who could forget his 2023 cameo against USF, when the offense looked lifeless and Simpson helped will the team to 17 unanswered points? Or that 78-yard flash of brilliance against Chattanooga, where he showed off wheels nobody knew he had?
Still, stats only tell part of the story: 167 yards, 14-of-25, one rushing touchdown in 2024. Respectable, but not headline-worthy.
Until now.
Trust, Earned: Coaches Back Simpson
When Ryan Grubb, Alabama’s offensive coordinator and offensive mastermind, was asked who would start if the season began tomorrow, his response was unequivocal:
“Ty Simpson.”
And Grubb didn’t hand that out like Halloween candy. “He earned it,” he insisted. “Just taking care of the ball, the little nuances… Ty’s been better.”
Then head coach Kalen DeBoer chimed in, praising Simpson’s maturity, consistency, and, most importantly, upward trajectory. The verdict is clear: If Alabama ran onto the field today, Simpson would be under center.
And that is no small thing—not in a quarterback room with a blue-chip comet named Keelon Russell breathing down his neck.
Enter Keelon Russell: The Freshman Phenom
Ah yes—Keelon Russell. The five-star, No. 2 overall quarterback in the 2025 class. A YouTube mixtape god with enough speed and swagger to make defensive coordinators sweat in their sleep.
His potential? Terrifying. His ceiling? Cloud-piercing.
But here’s the thing: Alabama’s not in a rebuilding year. After a painful 9-4 season, missing the playoffs entirely, and facing a legacy crisis in the post-Saban era, this isn’t the time for experiments or freshman hiccups.
The Tide need leadership. Experience. Trust. The locker room knows it. The coaching staff knows it. And if Daniel Hill’s voice is any indication, the players aren’t interested in flash—they want fire they can count on.
Daniel Hill: The Juggernaut in Waiting
Hill isn’t just dropping quotes—he’s shaping the narrative. The 6’1″, 242-pound sophomore is a walking battering ram, carved from Mississippi stone and dipped in SEC steel. He didn’t light up the stat sheet in 2024—just 61 rushing yards and a single touchdown—but that was injury-shortened.
Now? He’s turning heads and trucks in spring practice.
“Daniel Hill stood out more than anyone this spring,” Grubb revealed. DeBoer agreed: “He’s going to be a really good one for us.”
Hill is built like Derrick Henry and moves like a slot receiver. He doesn’t just run—he detonates. With him leading the backfield and Simpson running the show, Alabama’s offense might be quietly becoming a juggernaut again.
August 30: The War Begins in Tallahassee
Circle the calendar. Highlight it in crimson. On August 30, Alabama storms into Tallahassee to face Florida State in what might be the most anticipated season opener since the dawn of the College Football Playoff.
And when that first snap comes? It’s looking more and more like Ty Simpson will be the one taking it.
The fans are hungry. The critics are sharpening their knives. But inside that locker room? The decision feels made. The veteran is in command. The freshman is still waiting his turn.
The real story isn’t just about a quarterback battle—it’s about a program teetering between reinvention and resurgence, a team trying to reclaim its dynasty in an era where yesterday’s titles feel like distant myths.
Daniel Hill doesn’t want to talk about the past. He wants to own the future.
“We’re going for the natty,” he said, eyes set on glory. “That’s the goal. That’s the standard. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get us there.”
In Alabama, they don’t rebuild—they reload. And if this locker room truly believes in Ty Simpson?
The rest of the country better start paying attention.
